New Year, New You?
by Leah McGrath, RD, LDN
Corporate Dietitian – Ingles Supermarkets
Many people like to start the New Year off with a series of resolutions that are quickly forgotten by February and definitely abandoned by April.
If you are going to make resolutions to change your habits or behavior it is best to make them reasonable and achievable and focus on improving your health, not just weight loss.
Here are some suggestions for New Year’s Resolutions. Pick one or more…or all of them! Remember that it takes about three weeks of trying a new behavior for it to become a habit so don’t give up after only a day or even a week!
1. Drink more water and less soda, sweet tea, and alcohol.
Your body needs fluid and water is a good way to get it, with no calories involved.
Action step(s): Buy a Bisphenol-A(BPA)-free water bottle that
holds at least 16 ounces and fill it before leaving the house for
school or work and then try and drink it all and fill it again and
drink it all at least one other time during your day. Those 32 ounces
represent about one-half the fluid most of us need to drink each day.
2. Use less salt and consume less sodium
A diet high in sodium can cause fluid retention, increase blood pressure and also contribute to bone loss.
Action step(s): Take your salt shaker off the table. Taste
before seasoning. Add salt at the end of cooking rather than early on.
Check labels of the processed foods that you are eating especially
soups, breads, snacks and lunch meats. If you have high blood pressure
your daily intake of sodium should be less than 1500mg. If you do not
have high blood pressure it should be under 2300 mg/day – the same
amount as in ONE TEASPOON of salt!
3. Eat more fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables are nature’s pharmacy, rich in fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Action step(s): Keep fresh, frozen and even canned fruits and
vegetables in the house – out of sight is out of mind! Make sure you
have at least one serving of a fruit or vegetable with each meal or
snack.
4. Get daily exercise
Getting at least 30 minutes of exercise every day can help lower
blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol and weight. Regular exercise
can also improve your mood and help reduce stress.
Action step(s): Join a gym or the “Y”. Have a workout buddy that
will walk or go to the gym with you. Buy a pedometer (they cost from
$5-$25) to keep track of your steps. Make a point of getting kids
involved in exercise.
5. Get checked
Have your blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol checked and
“Know your Numbers.” Are you at risk for a heart attack or stroke? Do
you have diabetes? When was the last time you were checked?
Action step(s): Get a check-up at your doctor’s office or attend
a community health screening event. Write down your results and ask if
there is anything that needs further follow-up.
Leah McGrath, RD, LDN
Corporate Dietitian – Ingles Supermarkets
Phone: 800-334-4936
e-mail: [email protected]
Ingles: www.ingles-markets.com/ask_leah
Twitter: www.twitter.com/InglesDietitian
Facebook: www.facebook.com/inglesmarkets
